Invalid-support.



W. P. WALTER.

INVALID SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16. I916.

. Patented Jan. 22,1918.

. 3 SHEETS-SHEET l. S,

'w; P. WALTER.

' INVALID SUPPORT. APPLICATION FILED FEB. i6, l9l6.

lfimfim; Patented Jan. 22,1918.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2. fl Wag W. P. WALTER.

INVALID SUPPORT. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16, I916.

LQMfiM. I Patented Jan. 22,1918.

3 SHEETSPSHEET 3.

WILLIAM P. WALTER, OF ANGOLA, INDIANA.

INVALID-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 1 an. 252, 191%.

Application filed February 16, 1916. Serial No. 78,725.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WrLLIAM P. WALTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Angola, in the county of Steuben and State of Indiana, haveinvented new and use ful Improvements in. Invalid-Supports, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention comprehends the provision of an adjustable invalidsupport, primarily designed for use in connection with a bed, andwhereby the patient can be elevated with comfort above the bed, topermit of a change of bed clothes, or allow the back of the patient tocool with a view of preventing bed sores, or'for any other purpose.

In carrying out my invention I aim toprovide a contrivance of the abovementioned character which can be easily associated with a bed or removedtherefrom when desired, and one which can be easily elevated or loweredby the nurse or other person without any assistance.

The nature and advantages of the invention will be better understoodfrom the following description, when read in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the inven tion residing in the construction,combination and arrangement of parts as fall within the scope of what isclaimed.

In the drawings forming part of this specification like numerals ofreference indicate similar parts in the several views, and whereinFigure 1 is a side elevation of my device showing the same positionedwith relation to a bedstead.

Fig. 2 is an end view.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view. 7

Fig. 41 is a longitudinal sectional view.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of the connection between thecomponent parts of the device. I

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of the rack and pinion for elevatingthe patient.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view through one of the corner posts.

Fig. 8 is adetail view of the pawl and ratchet.

Before entering into a detail description of what is herein shown anddescribed, I desire to have it understood that the same is merelyillustrative of one embodiment of the invention, and that such changesin the construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to whendesired as fall within the scope of the claims.

Referring more particularly to the draw ing the device forming thesubject matter of my invention consists of a stationary frame Aand arelatively movable frame B, the latter being supported upon the stationary frame for vertical adjustment in the manner to be hereinafterdescribed. The stationary frame A preferably consists of four cornerpost 10 connected together by means of upper and lower parallel side andend rails 11 and 12 respectively thereby pro viding a rigidconstruction. The frame when usedin connection with a bed hereinindicated at C, is arranged to straddle the bedstead, the corner posts10 being arranged beyond the opposite siderails of the bedstead andinwardly of the head and foot thereof, the frame in its entirety beingsupported upon the floor or surface. The end rails 12 are preferablymade in two sections to facilitate the association of the frame with thebed or its removal therefrom, and the adjacent ends of said sections arepreferably formed with dove-tailed heads 13 adapted to be receivedwithin the sockets 1,4 of corresponding configuration.

The relatively movable frame B as shown in this instance consists ofspaced parallel side rails 15 connected together through theinstrumentality of end rails 16. J ournaled between the side rails 15 inclose proximity to the end rails 16 at both ends of the frame aretransverse shafts 17 which project through vertical slots 18 in thecorner posts 10 of the frame A, the shafts 17 serving to support theframe B upon the frame A in a manner illustrated in Fig. 1, from whichit will be noted that the movable frame B is adapted to be arrangedabove and normally rest upon the mattress of the bed. Fixed upon theopposite extremities of the shaft 17 exteriorly of the corner posts 10are pinions 19 adapted to mesh with the vertically disposed rack bars 20secured to the corner posts 10 at one side of the slots 18, by reason ofwhich construction and arrangement it will be manifest that the frame Bmay be adjusted yertically upon rotation of the shaft 17. I preferablyprovide each of the shafts 18 at the opposite ends of the frame B, witha suitable handle 21 by means of which the shafts may be rotated, it ofcourse being understood that in elevating or lowering the frame B, oneend is adjusted a predetermined distance by rotating one of the shafts17 and then the other end of the frame is adjusted by rotating the otherof the shafts 17. Secured uponthe shafts 17 adjacent each end thereofare ratchet wheels 22 with which pawls 23 pivotally mounted v upon theinner surface of the side rails l5 are adapted to cotiperate with a newof holding the opposite ends of the frame B in any adjusted position. Inconsideration of this fact it will be clear that a nurse or any "otherperson may elevate or lower the frame B without any additionalassistance, and that the frame in its entirety may be quickly and easilyadjusted with the expenditure of a minimum amount of energy.

One of the end rails 16 of the frame B is stationary, while the otherend rail is mounted for rotation, and projects a slight distance'beyondone of the side rails 15 of the frame as at 2% to accommodate a suitablerack or handle by means of which the end rail may be rotated. Fixed tothe stationary end rail 16 is one end of a sheet of can- 'vas or othersuitable material indicated at 25, the opposite end of said materialbeing secured to the rotary end rail and adapted to be wound thereaboutwith a view of stretching the material taut across the bed. Fixed uponthe rotary end rail 16 is a ratchet wheel 26 which is normally engagedby'means of a pawl 27 pivoted upon one of the side rails 15 of the frameand actuating to prevent retrograde movement of the rotary end railthereby holding the material taut when stretched. lhe contrivance in itsentirety .may'if desired form a part of the bed, or in other wordsremain associated therewith for an indefinite period of time, in whichinstance the canvas or material 25 would serve as a sheet for the bedupon which the patient would rest. However when the contrivance isattached to the bed only when it is desired the canvas or material canbe easily slipped beneath the patient and properly connected with theend rails to be stretched prior to the adjustment of the movable frameB. It might be further stated that while the contrivance is shown usedin connection with single bed, the frames A and B can be made of a sizeto accommodate a double bed without departing from the spirit of theinvention, and that also the contrivance as a whole is susceptible foruse wholly independent of the elevated from the bed in comfort to permitf a change of bed clothing or for any other purpose and by reason of theconstruction and contemplated operation it will be further obvious thatshould the patient be suffering from hemorrhages the lower end of thefame B or that end adjacent the foot of the bed can be raised orelevated independently or 'ithout raising the opposite. end of theframe.

\Vhat is claimed is:

l. The combination with a bedstead of an invalid support embodying astationary frame, said frame including corner posts arranged in pairs atthe opposite sides of the bedstead, parallel side and end railsconnecting the corner posts, a movable frame arranged inwardly of thecorner posts and supported thereon for vertical :nljustment above thebedstead, said movable frame including spaced parallel side and endrails, said side rails bein longitudinally slotted adjacent one endtransverse shafts carried by the side rails of the movable frame andassociated with the corner posts to permit said frame a verticaladjustment with respect to said posts, one of said shafts being arrangedin said slots and a sheet of flexible material carried by the end railsof the movable frame.

2. The combination with a bedstead. of an invalid support embodying astationary frame, said frame including corner posts arranged in pairs atthe opposite sides of the bedstead, side and end rails connecting thecorner posts, said corner posts having vertically disposed slots,asecond frame disposed above the bedstead inwardly of the corner posts,said second frame including parallel side and end rails, said side railshaving longitudinally disposed slots registering with. the slots in thecorner posts transversely disposed shafts carried by the secondmentioned frame and having their extremities passed through the slotsinthe corner posts and said side rails, means for adjusting the movableframe vertically in. the slots of the corner posts, and a sheet offlexible material secured to the end rails of the movable frame.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

lVILLIAM P. XVALTER.

lVitnesses Josr'i MARIA On'rrz, P. J. HARPHAM.

fiopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. O.

